So What EXACTLY Is A Chinese Oriental Rug?

In this article we are going to go over what a Chinese Oriental Rug is from what they look like to how they are constructed.

So what is the definition of a Chinese Oriental Rug?

Well it basically is this: A Chinese rug is an oriental rug that is, always, made with bright colors and floral designs. And of course made in China.

A Chinese oriental rug is very easy to distinguish from other types of oriental rugs, especially Persian Oriental Rugs.

Take a look at a very typical Chinese Oriental Rug

Picture  From MorandiCarpets.com

Chinese rugs also have other designs what are woven into them such as:

Horses, Deer, Bats, Dragons, Bamboo, and other items.

All of these items can be woven into the rug by themselves, or be woven
into the rug with other items listed here. But the predominant visual aspect of a Chinese Oriental Rug is the floral design.

It is rare to see a Chinese rug NOT have some sort of floral design.

Other Characteristics of Chinese Oriental Rugs

The colors! The colors in most oriental rugs can very from bright to very dull and muted. But that is not the case with Chinese rugs.

Chinese rugs are usually very bright with colors that "pop" to the eye.

Like most things in Chinese culture there is a meaning behind the colors,
just like there is meaning behind the symbols that are woven into Chinese rugs.

Let's look at some common Chinese rug color examples and their meanings.

Green - In Chinse culture (and probably many others)green is the color of
life - not money. Green means "being alive" and living.

Blue - this color means long life or immortality. In Chinese culture blue
is the color of afterlife, specifically Heaven.

White - well this color in Chinese culture means what it means in many
cultures and that is pure or purity. You see many Chinese rugs with large
areas of white in them.

Red - Red is a very common ascent color in Chinese rugs. It might not be
the dominant color in a rug, but is is often seen and it means joy and
happiness.

Black - In many cultures the color of black means darkness or death. Not
in Chinese culture. Black in Chinese culture means solemn or solemnity.

Pink - is the color of love in Chinese culture.

More Characteristics Of Chinese Oriental Rugs

Another very common characteristic of Chinese area rugs is the thick
luxurious look and feel to them.

These rugs are usually woven with a combination of wool, cotton, and silk. It
is the silk that tend to give these rugs that really luxurious feel and look.

Like almost all other oriental rugs, Chinese rugs can be hand woven or machine made. And this is critical in the cost and rarity of these rugs.

A hand woven rug could be extremely unique compared to other Chinse rugs that are machine made. A hand woven rug is not nearly as perfect as a machine made rug and that is a GOOD THING! This is a case where imperfection is a desired trait.

Also, hand made rugs have a fringe that comes directly from the foundation of the rug. The fringe is not sewn on as you see in this photo.

Picture From CatalinaRug.com

As you can clearly see in the above photo, the fringe is sewn on. This indicates the rug is machine made, not handmade. 

Picture From CatalinaRug.com

In the picture above you can see the fringe comes from the foundation fibers, indicating a hand knotted Chinese Oriental Area Rug. A hand knotted rug is typically far more valuable than a machine made rug.

So there you have it. Some basic characteristics of Chinese Oriental Rugs.

These are beautiful rugs that are loved around the world. 

Chinese area rugs, high-quality rugs, can be hard to find as there is usually a shortage of materials to make these rugs. And, even though the rug weaving culture in China dates back hundreds of years, many of the new Chinese area rugs are machine made, which makes them just not as valuable.

If you have any questions about Chinese rugs, or any type of area rug, please give us a call. We will be more than happy to answer any and all questions related to our Chinese Rug Cleaning Service in Vancouver, Washington.